How to answer the question “Tell me about a time you worked on a team” like an all-star
We’ve all been there. That pivotal point in time where you find yourself facing a prospective employer.
Your palms are sweaty, maybe you’re gripping the armchair a little too tightly, and your leg has, for the first time in its life, developed a twitch. What a time to be alive, right?
Fortunately, a job interview doesn’t have to be as nerve-wracking as it might seem in the moment.
Think of an interview as your opportunity to prove that the beautifully formatted resume you provided along with the perfectly completed application is a true representation of the awesome person that you are.
At Snagajob, we know a thing or two about questions that are asked in an interview. Specifically, employers love to dive into the idea of team building and ask what we call the “teamwork interview questions.”
Ready to learn how to answer them?
The most popular teamwork interview question
A top interview question is “Tell me about a time you worked on a team.” Because employers often interview multiple people, having a one-size-fits-all question like this is important.
You need a game plan for this question. There’s a great quote from the film Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (super random movie reference, we know…):
“It’s so overt…it’s covert.”
The same kind of thinking applies to this question. It’s so simple…it’s complicated.
The best interviewing questions usually are. They require more by asking less. “Tell me about a time you worked on a team” is open-ended enough to allow you the opportunity to sink or swim.
In your response, employers are looking to see how you communicate and how you work on a team.
Before we show you how to craft your own response to a question like this, let’s look at a few interviewee examples.
A tale of three interviews
Meet Todd, Jamal, and Chrissy. They all just did what you’re preparing to do: interview for a job.
Despite interviewing for different positions, all three were asked variations of the same, team-oriented question.
Let’s see how they did.
Todd’s approach
Todd’s a confident dude, so when he sat down and was asked “How would you describe your ability to work as a team member?” he smiled wide. Easy.
“I’d say I’m an incredible team member…not to brag or anything. The team I come from was a mess. There wasn’t any leadership, and several of my coworkers fought with each other. They were terrible, but I managed to still get all of my work done.”
More on Todd’s huge mistake in a second.
Jamal’s approach
Jamal entered his interview with typical day-of nerves. He was interviewing for a sales team position, where working with others isn’t an option, but a necessity.
The first question he faced? “Tell us why you would be a great team member.”
Jamal took a deep breath, and here’s what he came up with:
“In my previous retail position, we were split into teams by department to work Black Friday. Each department would compete to achieve the highest sales. My team and I made an action plan to have each person cover a specific area so that no customer would be an oversight and go without assistance. We ended up with a 10% increase in sales from the previous year and the highest number of sales among all the departments. All because of teamwork. That’s what I bring to the table—a complete understanding and respect for what it means to work as a team.”
Let’s simmer on that and check-in with Chrissy.
Chrissy’s approach
Chrissy’s prospective employer hit her with “Why would you be a great team member?”
Her response: “I’ve always believed in team work. When I was little, my friends and I would team up and play these massive games of neighborhood hide-and-seek. It was funny, but I remember thinking about how lucky I was to be working with someone else to find my friends. It made me value what it means to be on a team, so I think I’d bring that same value to this job.”
The results
Chances are you see a clear winner here, so let’s briefly cover what went wrong with our other two potential candidates.
First, it’s important to understand what interviewers are looking for. They don’t want to see you fail (even though it might seem like it sometimes), and the “Tell me about a time you worked on a team” question gives them insight into how you handle common situations on the job. It tells them if you are, or can be, a team player. It demonstrates how you represent yourself in speaking about others.
In short, employers are evaluating:
If you can formulate a professional and clear response
How you speak about your teammates and leaders
How easily you work with others
Whether or not you can achieve results by working in a group
Painting former team members or your boss in a negative light is highly discouraged. That was Todd’s problem. Remember when he said that the team he came from was a “mess?” Not a good look.
Todd tried to separate himself from the pack by disparaging others. That’s a big no-no on the interview circuit.
It’s also important to avoid extra details when answering. Chrissy’s response shows what not to do on that front. She didn’t really answer the question very well, instead launching into a tangent about her childhood.
Granted, her heart was in the right place—she was trying to make a connection between teamwork and personal experience—but her answer lacked any insight into how previous professional experience would make her a great teammate.
Jamal’s answer is the clear winner. He used something called the STAR method, which we’re about to share with you!
In doing so, Jamal gave a specific example of teamwork that effectively documented why he’d be a great team member.
Employers want to see you focus on the question at hand. They ask the team-friendly question to make sure you aren’t selfish or hard to get along with. A good answer shows that you can work with others toward a common goal, which is exactly what Jamal’s response did.
Ready to craft a response of your own?
Answering STAR interviewing questions with the STAR method
STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action and Result. Several interview questions lend themselves to answers in this format, which is why you’re at an advantage to use the STAR method when thinking about your own responses.
Let’s break down Jamal’s response in the framework of STAR.
Situation
Quickly describe the situation. It’s best to focus on a specific moment, like an event or a team project.
Jamal accomplished this with: “In my previous retail position, we were split into teams by department to work Black Friday.”
Boom. Situation.
Task
Explain the goal or task you worked toward. Think of this as the point in the narrative where you faced a challenge, deadline or obstacle.
Jamal’s challenge? “Each department would compete to achieve the highest sales.”
Ah, good old-fashioned competition. Jamal and his teammates were competing against other teams in the company. Game on.
Action
Detail how you worked with the team to tackle your challenge. Be very specific, listing the steps you took to solve the problem.
Jamal knocked this out of the park with “My team and I made an action plan to have each person cover a specific area so that no customer would be an oversight and go without assistance.”
Notice the added element here. He didn’t just say that his team made an action plan, but also explained the purpose behind said plan. That’s the real action.
Result
What was the outcome of your team’s venture? At this point, specificity is your best friend. Use specific examples with specific numbers, if possible. The result should show how you’re an all-star team player.
Put simply, Jamal crushed this.
“We ended up with a 10% increase in sales from the previous year and the highest number of sales among all the departments. All because of teamwork. That’s what I bring to the table – a complete understanding and respect for what it means to work as a team.”
Jamal followed the STAR method to a T and walked away with a job offer.
You can too!
Your turn
Using the STAR method to craft your own answer to the “Tell me about a time you worked on a team” question is a surefire way to make sure you aren’t caught off-guard.
Remember, there isn’t a singular approach for how to answer questions in an interview, but the more prepared you are, the better.
The STAR method helps with this and promises to give you the best opportunity for showing an employer why you’re the real deal.
Curious about how to answer other questions on a job interview? Let us know below!